The Growing Problem of Secondhand Theology in the Digital Age
Most Christians would agree that Scripture is truth.
Far fewer stop to consider that theology is not.
That statement may sound controversial at first, but it is actually quite simple. Just as religion is humanity’s attempt to make itself palatable to God, Theology is humanity’s attempt to explain what Scripture teaches. Theology can be excellent, helpful, and even by fallible people attempting to understand an infallible text.
Covenant Theology, Reformed Theology, Arminianism, Free Grace Theology, Torah Observance, Dispensationalism, and countless other systems all represent efforts to organize and explain biblical truth. The systems themselves are not Scripture. They are attempting to understand Scripture.
That distinction matters.
When believers begin treating a theological framework as untouchable, they often become more loyal to the system than to the evidence that originally produced it. Healthy theology should always be willing to revisit its assumptions in the light of Scripture.
Over the years, I have come to think of a growing problem within modern Christianity as Derivative Theology.
Derivative theology occurs when we inherit conclusions without inheriting the study that produced them.
The problem is hardly new.
Previous generations often inherited their denomination’s theology. A Baptist inherited Baptist assumptions. A Presbyterian inherited Presbyterian assumptions. A Lutheran inherited Lutheran assumptions. Most believers began with conclusions and only later learned the verses that supported those conclusions.
That does not automatically make the conclusions wrong. It simply means they were inherited before they were examined.
Once these inherited conclusions become settled, they are rarely questioned. As a matter of fact, they are not just held; they are defended, and the defense of a belief becomes more important than the examination of it.
Yet Scripture repeatedly calls believers to do the opposite. Paul instructed the Thessalonians, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The command assumes examination and testing. It also assumes that ideas, traditions, and teachings should not be accepted merely because they are familiar or widely repeated. Truth does not fear investigation, and neither should those who seek it.
Jesus repeatedly pointed people toward truth:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)
The danger of Derivative theology is that it often shifts the believer’s focus from the pursuit of truth to the defense of a position. Once a conclusion becomes part of a person’s identity, protecting the conclusion can become more important than investigating it. Yet Scripture consistently points believers toward truth itself. Jesus never commanded His followers to defend a theological system. He commanded them to pursue and abide in truth.
Today the mechanism has changed, but the problem remains exactly the same.
Modern Christians increasingly inherit theology from social media.
Instead of receiving most of their instruction from one pastor over twenty years, believers now consume content from dozens of teachers every week. Their theology is often assembled from a steady stream of YouTube clips, podcasts, TikTok videos, reaction channels, prophecy updates, blog articles, and increasingly, AI-generated summaries.
The result is a form of theological fast food.
Information is consumed rapidly, and the conclusions thereof are adopted quickly. Confidence grows, yet the underlying study often never occurs.
There is another danger as well. Scripture repeatedly warns believers about deception. One of Christ’s most repeated prophetic warnings was, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). False teachers, false prophets, and spiritual deception are recurring themes throughout the New Testament.
Derivative theology can unintentionally increase a believer’s vulnerability to error because borrowed beliefs are often difficult to defend when challenged. A person who has never investigated a doctrine firsthand is forced to rely on others’ authority when questions arise. The danger is not merely being wrong. The danger is building convictions on foundations that have never been personally tested against Scripture.
Many believers can explain what their favorite teacher believes, but struggle to explain why.
They may never have seriously examined:
- historical context
- church history
- competing interpretations
- original source material
- the strongest arguments on the other side
- or even the biblical passages themselves in depth
The irony is that this problem affects every theological camp.
A person can become a covenant theologian by imitation. A Calvinist by imitation. An Arminian by imitation. A Torah observer by imitation. A dispensationalist by imitation. A Free Grace believer by imitation. The problem is not the conclusion itself. The problem is arriving at the conclusion without understanding the path that led there.
The issue is not which conclusion was reached; it is whether the conclusion was individually examined.
This is where many theological debates become frustrating. People often argue passionately for positions they have never independently investigated. They repeat arguments they have heard from those they believe to be trusted teachers. They then repeat talking points and share memes and videos.
Yet if pressed beyond the surface, they frequently discover that their certainty rests on borrowed confidence rather than personal conviction.
The most dangerous form of error is not a belief that has been carefully studied and found wanting. It is a belief that has never been examined at all. An examined conclusion can be corrected. An inherited conclusion is often protected long before it is understood.
Scripture never condemns learning from teachers. In fact, God has given teachers to the Church for a reason, but no believer learns in isolation.
The goal is not independence from teachers; instead, it is dependence on Scripture.
The principle extends beyond theological systems and reaches the very heart of Christianity itself.
No one is saved because a pastor believes in Jesus, or your parents believe in Jesus. No one is saved because they attend the right church or agree with a particular statement of faith. At some point, every person must answer the same question Jesus asked His disciples: “Whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).
That question cannot be delegated to a denomination, a pastor, a favorite teacher, or a social media influencer. It demands a individual answer.
In many ways, the Christian life begins with a pursuit of truth. We investigate the claims of Christ, examine the testimony of Scripture, and ultimately come to our own conviction regarding His identity. The same principle should continue throughout our walk with God. If Christ Himself is too important to accept merely on borrowed authority, then the doctrines we build upon Him deserve the same careful examination.
Scripture itself provides the model. The Bereans were commended because they did not simply accept Paul’s teaching on authority alone. They searched the Scriptures daily to determine whether his claims were true (Acts 17:11). Their example reminds us that even respected teachers should be tested against the text. Noble-minded believers do not fear examination; they welcome it.
Good teachers should drive us toward deeper study, but not replace personal study. They should encourage investigation, not discourage questions. The best teachers are not those who create followers, but those who create students.
Paul likewise instructed Timothy to be a diligent student of God’s Word, “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Notice the responsibility is personal. Timothy was not told merely to repeat what others believed. He was expected to handle Scripture carefully and accurately. Every believer shares that same obligation.
Mature believers eventually move beyond inherited conclusions and begin testing everything against the text itself. They learn not only what they believe, but why they believe it. They understand the assumptions behind their position. They know where competing interpretations differ. They can explain why they find one view more persuasive than another.
At that point, their theology is no longer merely inherited; it has become their own.
Borrowed beliefs are easy to repeat because someone else has already done the work. Convictions are different. Convictions are forged through study, questioning, testing, and wrestling with the text itself. Borrowed beliefs can disappear the moment they are challenged. Convictions tend to endure because they were earned rather than inherited.
This is one of the most important transitions in the Christian life.
A theology that cannot survive honest examination was never truly ours to begin with.
Leave a Reply